Illuminated display case



\ Aug 15, 1944. P. H. JAMES y l ILLUMINATED DISPLAY `CASE Filed-Jan. 29, 1944 5 f up 'I -h:mmfll 27 M M \l mmm f4 I Ilm "gl .I l

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Aftonej Patented Aug. 15, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT lLLUMlNATED DISPLAY CASE 'Parker H. James, Indianapolis, Ind.V Application Jennery 29, 1944, Serial No` 52,9474

' (cl. y24o- 6) 5 Claims.

This invention yrelates to ,Ineens for illllnllllnting a display oase. oi that type wherein there e top and front glass well preferably in one tegral piece without any uppery iprwerd corner strip. A primary oldiect of the invention is to illuminate the interior of the ease in lsllch nienner that there will .loe uniform light distriloiition lthroughout the interior of the cese Without en? appreciable shadows .beine created upon the goods therein to be displayed A-.f.i1rtller prima1y ploF ieet of .the invention is to illlirnir..lette the oase without having to `employ 4a lamp or `other illu? minating 4means along the upper, forward portion of the ease as has heretofore been the preetice.

,In the present forno of thei.inventionJ the front and top of the case is formed in one continuous piece of glass bent from thevertical or front face around and over to forno .the top of the tease so that visibility ci the contents displayed within v.the case is not interfered with by any glass suplportvpieces or the like. By use of the invention herein set forth, `the entire interior of the `case is illuminated without ,any yisilole point ,or .line source of lightI and yet lont e single position of the light source is employed whereby ,the cost of installation and ,of .electric energy reduced to the minimum.

These andpther objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description o f one par.- ticnler form of the invention es illustrated .in the accompanying drawing, in which l Fig. 1 is a, View in .front elevation of a struc.- tnre embodying the invention;

Fie. 2, a top plen yiew; and

Fig. `3,a view in vertiealftransverse section on the line 3-f3 in Fig. l. o Like characters of reference .indicate like part.s throughout the severalyiews in the drawing.

`Upona suitable base l0 is built a display cese proper to yhave a door |,I with front and ,back opaque panels l2 vand ,I3 respectively vreiitell,.dlllg yerticelly thereiroln.- End walls I4 and I5 .extend vertically upwardly from the floor lII be,- yond the panels ,Lz r and t3 at leest to thedesired height of the case.

Between .these end walls lll and L5 is .mounted .the iront and top inolpsilre inlined-of Athe single piece or` glass I6 to have itslower end moilnted on )the top .edge .ofthe panel l2 and to extend vertically therefrom to a top curved portion I l, through `which portion the glass is bent around rearwardly to continue therefrom in a horizontal top portion I8. The rear edge of this top portion It terminates et slight distance forwardly of the teer side of the cese ond is Supported by top opende reil i9 which'extendsecross 'between end is supported by the end wells ll' and l5, Tous the glass lli is supported alone lower edee by the panel l? ,and filone neer edge ley the .foil i9. ell with dt any intervening eornerstiip around the bent p rtlcnli,

The rear of the ente is preferably .inclosed lit' any suitable means, spell es. lov-ille slldllls ldoors 20 and 2l, Vtlie lop afd bottom edge por"- tions of which. dre suitably .guided in slots prof vided in Ithe molding .212 dnd' 23. carried respectively by .top reil lil and the ree'r panel li. .A translucent supfloor 24 is lined between tile epd walls ll end l5 to .be .substantially horiz ntel and in spaced reletion `elio-ve the iloor'l l, .es indicated in Fig. 3, In the present torni of .the

invention, Tme "rear edee .oi this spp-door ,2l is enpported elone .e .eliolllder provided on the neer panel le end is lleld thereeseinst by n.1

spf

the molding i3 beine positioned errors .tlie iop .side of the floor and 'against tile iront ece .oi the panel I3 which is provided .to cette, ettore die level of the floor 24. The front edge o f the `iloor 254 is located .et e distende behind the Panel l2 as indicated in Fig. N43.

The inner fece oi ille .front panel l2 is provided with d mirror 25 er rellectlns surface preieraloly over its entire area, but infanyevent, egrtendine `alcove end below tlie level 'of tile feillonoor il, the maior portion of the mirror 22d beine below that level Below the central zoneof tile rear panel I3 end extending longitudinally thereaeross is mounted e leicp i6, preferably .oitlie nuoreseent type, as indicated Lb'y the d niwine,F to `loe in tubular foret ll/Ionnted under .the top rail .i9 is e mirror f2.1 positioned to slope downwardly from Vnear the front edge portion of the rail i9, and rearwardly to the molding 22 in the forrxn'of the invention herein shown.' -In other words, this mirror 21 is dieeonelly positioned across the corner loetween the toprdillll andthe molding ,22- 'm jLight emanating from theflarnp 26 may travel upwardly through the Vtrafnslilcent nom-#A424 to be diffused throughout the case there'above. VForwardlytravelin'grays from the lamp 2li will strike v the substantially vertically disposed A,mirror ',25, and, .dependios dpontlleensleol iidpo't there# .onl will be reflected in .Part .diagonally e "nst the door ,24 and in ,eert .cowardly thodelr tile een between tile .irontedele .of the door `24 and front wall of the glass I6. Some of these rays coming through that gap` will strike directly upon the surface of the top mirror 21 and be reflected back downwardly and toward the oor 24. The diffused light above the floor 24 will also be tended to be reected downwardly and toward the floor 24 by the mirror 21,

By this peculiar arrangement of the translucent iloor 24 and the two mirrors 25 and 21 disposed as indicated, the entire vinterior of the case appears to glow with light without any apparent light source, and yet objects placed upon the floor 24 will appear to be well illuminated from all sides and their tops without casting appreciable shadows. In fact, the objects so located on the floor 24 will be extremely attractively displayed and will appear to sit out in space.

The interior faces of the end walls I4 and i5' as well as of the panels 20 and 2| are preferably made to be light reflecting, such as being finished in white; `Likewise the top side of the oor I l "andthe forward side of they rear panel i3 are lfinished in white to tend to reflect light rather than absorb it. The floor 24 is preferably made Iout of glass, either sanded on one side or its body inad either entirely or in part of translucent glass rather than clear glass. Obviously the glass wall I 6 is transparent,`and to the casual observer A appears not to exist when the interior of the case is illuminated as above described.

AThe, width of the gap between the forward edge of the sub-floor 24 and the face of the mirror.25 is heldA to a relatively small dimension. For' example, in a case having a sub-floor twenty inches Wide from front to back, and a height of ,twenty-one inches above the sub-floor 24, this gap will be approximately two inches wide.

t 'While I have herein shown and described my linvention in the one particular form, it is obvious Ythat structural variations may be employed with; vout departing from the spirit of the invention and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim: y

1. In a display case having a continuous transparent front and top inclosure, a floor, and front andrea'r opaque walls extending from said iioor tov at least the level of the lower end of' said invclosure the combination of a translucent sub- .ilo'or spaced above said floor having a front edge lspaced back of said front opaque wall to leave an opening therebetween; a light source belowsaid sub-floor adjacent said rear opaque wall; a light reflecting surface on the inner side of said front opaque wall; and a light reflecting surface in the upper rear portion. of said case back of said top .inclosure and angularly disposed to reiiect light .downwardly and forwardly.

2. In a display case having a continuous transparent front and top inclosure, a iioor, and front andrear opaque Walls extending from said floor to at least the level of the lower end of said inlclosure, the combination of a translucent subiioor spacedabove said oor having a front edge spaced back of said front opaque wall to leave .andopening therebetween; la light source below saidsub-floor. adjacent said rear opaquel wall; a light reflecting surface on the xinner side of said .front opaque wall; and a light reecting surface .iny the upper rear portion of said case back of said top inclosure and angularly disposed to resource consisting of a tubular fluorescent lamp extending along said rear opaque wall near said floor; and end walls, between which said in-` spaced back of said front opaque wall to leave an opening therebetween; a light source below said sub-floor adjacent said rear opaque wall; a light reflecting surface on the inner side of said front opaque wall; and a light reflecting surface in the upper rear portion of said case back of said top lilect light downwardly andrforwaidly; said light inclosure and angularly disposed to reflect light -downwardly and forwardly; said front opaque wall reflecting surfaceextending above said subfloor and terminating at least substantially at the lower level of said front inclosure.

4., In a display case having a continuous transparent front and top inclosure,` a iioor, and front and rear opaque walls extending from said iloor to at least the level of the lower end of saidinclosure, the combination of a translucent subfloor spaced above said floor having a front edge spaced back of said front opaque wall to leave an opening therebetween; a light source below said sub-floor adjacent said rear opaque wall; a light reflecting surface on the inner side of said front opaque Wall; and a light reflecting surface in the upper rear portion of said case back of saidtop inclosure and angularly disposed to reflect light downwardly andforwardly; said light source consisting of a, tubular fluorescent lamp extending along said rear opaque wall near said floor; and end walls, between which said inclosure, opaque iioors, and sub-floor extend; the inner sides of said end walls and said rear opaque 'wall being light reecting; and a, light reflecting surface across the rear of said case between said .sub-floor and said top angularly disposed reflecting surface.

5. A display case comprising a iioor; front and rear opaque panels extending upwardly therefrom; end walls across said panels extending from said floor and above the panels; a transparent front wall extending from the top of said front panel and curving around and rearwardly in a continuous manner toward the tops of said end walls to form a top to said case and terminate by a rear edge forwardly of a vertical plane including said rear panel; a top panel receiving said rear edge and filling in the space between it and said plane; a rear case inclosure between said rear and top panels; a `sub-floor of translucent material atv substantially the level of the top edgesof said front andv rear panels, said subfloor terminating by a front edge back of said front panel to leave a slot-like opening therebetween; a lightsource Ydistributed under and longitudinally across said sub-floor toward said rear panel and spaced between said iioor and said sub-floor; a light reflecting surface on said front panel continuing above and below the level of said sub-floor; and a light reiiecting member mounted under 'said top panel and sloping rearwardly and downwardly in respect to said case top.

PARKER H. JAMES. 

